Refrigerating apparatus



April 25, 1933. w. H. MATTHEWS 1,905,037

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2s h v a2 INVENTOR Q84..- YEQ ATTORNEY April 1933- H. MATTHEWS 1,905,037

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS I Filed Feb. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,5 BY M M $4 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE mm! a. mr'raxws, or narrow, OHIO, assmnoa 'ro raremama ooaroaarron, or

. DAYTON, 0310, a conronarron or DELAWARE BEIRIGERATING APPARATUS lpplicationnled February 27, 1930. Serial No. 431,749.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to latches for the doors of refrigerator cabinets for use with refrigerating apparatus.

In the use of refrigerator cabinets, particularly refrigerator cabinets of the type disclosed in this application where the door or closure member is opened and closed by moving in a horizontal plane, it is desirable to provide a lock for the door, the handle of WlllCh will serve to release the latch, and at the same time will serve as means for opening the door itself. In addition it is desirable to rovide a handle for the latch which may e used as means for closing the door without in any way impairing the latching of the door.

The desire for such a construction has led to the adoption of the so-called free bolt latch, an example of which has been disclosed in the application of Herman E.

Pleasant, 195,340, filed May 31, 1927, reference to which is hereby made. This free bolt latch may com rise a casing within which reciprocates a olt adapted to engage a keeper when in its latched position. A handle is provided which serves as means for releasing the bolt from the keeper, and provisions are made whereby the bolt may reciprocate without imparting movement to the handle. This type of latch has some disadvantages. For example, it sometimes happens that the door is not swung to its closed position with sufiicient force to permit the reciprocating bolt to completely engage its keeper. In such a case, the door must be again opened and closed if it is desired to have the bolt in com lete engagement with the keeper. In ad ition, in this type of latch the handle is more or less free to rotate around its pivot point both when the door is opened and closed and considerable noise may result therefrom.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide an improved free bolt latchin device. More articularly to provide a atching device wherein the latch bolt is free to reciprocate without imparting movement to the handle thereof yet wherein the handle may be used to reciprocate the bolt to both release the latch bolt from the keeper and to force it into engagement therewit A further object of this invention is to provide a free bolt latching device wherein means for forcing the latch bolt into complete engagement with its kee er is provided. More particularly to provi e means cooperating with the handle of the latching device whereby noise, due to movement of the handle on its pivot, is prevented.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a latch having a handle which when pulled to open the door automatically releases the latching means, the handle being also available for closing the door without impairing the latching thereof. More particularly to provide such a handle with cooperating means for forcing the latch into complete engagement with its keeper.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is 75 clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the latchmg device;

Fig. 3 is also a horizontal section through the latching device;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings I have disclosed my improved latching device in combination with a refrigerator cabinet 10, provided with doors 11, shown as locked in the closed position by a latching device12. The latching device comprises a casing 13 substantially rectangular in shape, which is secured to the closure member by means of the screws 14 assing through openings in lateral extending flanges 15, formedinte ral with the casing. A web 16, exten ing across and formed integral with the casing, is provided with a circular opening 17,

which opening is aligned with a similar circular opening .18 in the forward wall of the casing. A cylindrical bolt 19, comprising what is known as a free bolt, is mounted to reciprocate within the casing and the aligned openings 17 and 18 inthe forward wall and in the web guide the bolt in its reciprocating movement. The bolt 19 extends beyond the casing passing through the opening 18 in the forward wall and is provided at its end outside the casing with a roller bearin urface adapted to engage the keeper 60. This rollerbearing surface is formed by bifurcating the end of the cylindrical bolt and mounting between the bifurcations 20 and 21 a rod 22 on which is mounted the roller 23. At its other end, that is, the end within the casing, the bolt is provided with a depression 24 in which fits one end of a spring 25, the other end of the spring bearing against the inside face of the rear wall of the casing. The free bolt is, therefore, urged to the left, that is, towards the keeper 60 by the spring 25. Intermediate its ends, the bolt is provided with a depressed portion 26, which portion has a length substantially equal to the longitudinal movement of the bolt as will be more fully described hereinafter.

For providing means for moving the bolt to the right against the action of 'the spring 25, that 1s to say to release the bolt 19 from the keeper 60, a handle 27 is pivoted on a rod 64 between a pair of ears 28 formed integral with the casing on the front wall thereof. This handle is provided with an integral portion 29 extending into the easing through an opening 30 in the front wall of the casing, the inwardly extending portion being bifurcated as at 31 to engage the reduced portion 26 of the bolt. A thin metallic member 32 is also mounted on the pivot rod between the bifurcations of the handle and this member is provided at its forward end with a segment 33 engaging the front end of the handle and with a segment 34 supporting one end of a spring 35, the other end of the spring fitting within a depression 36 formed in the handle 27.

As so far described the latch operates as follows. Assuming the partsin the position shown in full lines of Fig. 2, then any one desiring to open the door of closure member 11 will iras the handle 27. This will rotate the an le 27 on its pivot point 64 and the portion 29 extending within the casing will contact the enlarged portion of the bolt as shown in Fig.- 4, thus moving the bolt to the right against the action of'the spring 25. This movement will move the roller bearing member 23 from the keeper 60 whereby further force applied to the handle will open the door.

When the door is swung to its closed position the roller bearing surface of the bolt 19 will ride over the surface 61 of the keeper 60 and the movement of the bolt first to the right and then to the left will be inde.- pendent of the handle, that is, will not impart movement to the handle.

As before stated, the length of the depressed portion 26 is substantially equal to the maximum movement of the bolt 19 in In free bolt latches of this type it sometimes occurs that the bolt does not completely engage its keeper as shown in Fig. 2. This invention also provides means whereby the bolt may be forced into complete engagement with the keeper as shown in Fig. 3 without reopening the door. To this end a collar 37 is threaded on to the right hand end of the bolt 19 and the collar is provided with a lug 38 extendin through an opening in the front wall 0 the casing to prevent rotation of the collar. A lug 39 is formed on the underside of the handle, which lug is adapted to engage the collar 37 as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 3, to move'the reciprocating bolt from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the full line position shown in Fig. 3.

It will be seen therefore that although the reciprocating bolt may move backwards and forwards independently of the handle, that the handle may also be used if desired to cause such movement. In other words, the handle 27 may be used to form the four independent functions, for example to release the bolt from the keeper, to open the door, to close the door and to move the bolt into complete engagement with the keeper. In

addition by the provision of the metal member 33 and the spring 35 cooperating with the metal member and the handle, the handle 27 is maintained more or less under tension at all'times and consequently rattling is prevented.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is clalmed is as follows:

1. In combination with a keeper therefor, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, a handle, and means cooperating with said handle. for positively reciprocatin said bolt in both directions, and means w ereby said bolt may reciprocate out of and into engagement-with said keeper without imparting motion to said handle.

2. In combination with a keeper therefor, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, means tendingto maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle, and means cooperating with said handle for positively reciprocating said bolt in both directions, and means whereby said bolt may reciprocate out of and into engagement with said keeper without imparting motion to said handle.

3. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, means tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle mounted on said casing, and provided with a portion extending within said casing, said portion cooperating with said bolt to move said bolt out of engagement with said keeper and additional positive means for'aiding said first named means for bringing the bolt into complete engagement with said keeper and means whereby said bolt may reciprocate without imparting motion to said handle.

4. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, means tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle provided with a portion extending within said casing, said portion cooperating with said bolt to move said bolt out of engagement with said keeper, and additional cam means for aiding said first named means for positively bringing the bolt into complete engagement with said keeper and means whereby said bolt may reciprocate without imparting motion to said handle.

5. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate within said casing, a handle having a portion cooperating with said bolt to move the bolt out of engagement with said keeper, and additional means forming a part of said handle for moving said bolt towards said keeper and means whereby said bolt may be reciprocated without imparting movement to said handle.

6. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a. casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate within said casing, means tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle having a portion cooperating with said bolt to move the bolt out of engagement with said keeper, and additional means forming a part of said handle for moving said bolt towards said keeper and means whereby said bolt may be reciprocated without imparting movement to said handle.

7. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, a spring tending to hold said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle mounted on said casing, said handle having a portion cooperating with said bolt for moving said bolt out of engagement with said keeper, means whereby said bolt may reciprocate in said casingwithout imparting movement to said handle, and means cooperating with said handle for positively imparting further movement to said bolt towards said keeper should the first named means fail to force the bolt into complete engagement with said keeper.

8. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate in said casing, means tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, means for moving said bolt out of engagement with said keeper against the force of said first named means, means supplementing said first named means for positively forcing said bolt into complete engagement with said keeper, and means whereby said bolt may reciprocate without imparting movement to said second named means. 7

9. In combination with a keeper, a free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate within said casing, a spring tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle mounted on said casing and provided with a portion extending into said casing and engaging said bolt for moving said bolt against the tension of said spring, said bolt being provided with means whereby it may reciprocate without imparting movement to said handle, and means whereby said bolt may be forced into complete engagement with said keeper, said means supplementing said spring and comprising a collar on said bolt and means on said handle adapted to engage said collar.

10. The combination with a keeper, 3. free bolt latch comprising a casing, a bolt mounted to reciprocate with the casing, spring means tending to maintain said bolt in engagement with said keeper, a handle movable outwardly to move the bolt out of engagement with the keeper, means cooperating with said handle upon an inward movement of the handle for positively moving said bolt into engagement with the keeper and means whereby said bolt may be reciprocated without imparting movement to the handle.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. MATTHEWS. 

